Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said he had declined an invitation from US President Donald Trump to visit Washington, and instead chosen to come to Odisha, the sacred land of Lord Jagannath.
Addressing a rally in Bhubaneswar, Modi said, “I was in Canada for the G7 Summit when US President Trump had called me and invited me to Washington for a discussion and lunch. I thanked him for the invitation, saying I have to visit Odisha, the land of Lord Jagannath. I humbly rejected his invitation.”
PM Modi Friday launched 105 development projects valued at over Rs 18,600 crores, unveiled the “Odisha Vision Document” and flagged off new trains during his visit to the state.
He also felicitated several people, including ‘Lakhpati Didis’ and others.
The projects launched by the Prime Minister included drinking water and irrigation, health infrastructure, rural roads and bridges, national highways and railway infrastructure.
Modi flagged off the first passenger train to the Boudh district after inaugurating the Sonepur-Purunakatak railway line. Railway projects such as the third and fourth rail lines between Sarla-Sason and the fourth rail line between Jharsuguda-Jamga were also launched.
This apart, Modi also flagged off 100 electric buses under the Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) system, promoting eco-friendly urban mobility.
Prepared following people’s feedback, the Prime Minister unveiled the ‘Odisha Vision Document’, the roadmap for the state’s development goals, anchored around the centenary of Odisha’s formation as a linguistic state in 2036 and India’s 100 years of independence in 2047.
The vision aims to transform Odisha into a Dollar 500 billion economy by 2036 and a Dollar 1.5 trillion economy by 2047.
The Prime Minister also launched ‘Baraputra Aitihya Gram Yojana’, an initiative to transform birthplaces of Odia icons into memorials, featuring museums, interpretation centres, statues and libraries, thereby promoting cultural tourism and preserving heritage.
PTI